1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a loading device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a loading device for an optical disk medium.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional loading device for an optical disk medium, particularly a device which loads/unloads media of various kinds such as a disc-shaped medium, for example, a compact disk (CD) and a cartridge type medium, for instance, a magneto-optical (MO) disk, has a mechanism for loading such media using a saucer-type member, generally called a tray, which is extended from the body of the device. After the medium is placed thereon, the tray is returned to the inside of the device to load the optical disk medium.
The length of the tray extended from the body of the device of this kind is substantially the same as the diameter of the medium or the length of the cartridge which contains the medium. Therefore, there is a possibility that the tray may collide with an object when the tray is extended. In order to avoid such a collision, a large amount of free space equivalent to the length of extension of the tray is required in front of the device. Also, since the amount of extension of the tray is considerably large, there is a danger that an external force may be applied to the tray which may damage or break the tray. If the tray is damaged, it may lead to a critical problem in the loading/unloading operation and, hence, it becomes difficult to maintain the initial operability of the optical disk loading device.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a loading device for an optical disk medium whose internal mechanism cannot be damaged by an external force.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an optical disk loading device which is capable of maintaining the initial operability thereof.
According to the device of the present invention which is a front loading system, i.e., one in which a medium is inserted into the front of the device, it is unlikely for an external force to be applied to the device since it does not have a member such as a tray which extends outside the device. As a result, there is no danger of damaging the internal mechanism of the device by an external force.
Accordingly, the present invention as set forth in claim 1 is a loading device for an optical disk medium, including: a body including an insertion opening through which an optical disk medium is inserted; a pair of guiding rollers disposed so as to extend in front of the insertion opening to guide the optical disk medium; an optical disk holder disposed further inside relative to the position of the guiding rollers for the insertion of the optical disk medium therein, the optical disk holder being capable of moving back and forth in the insertion direction of the optical disk medium; a reading mechanism disposed below the optical disk holder; a clamper disposed above the optical disk medium, the clamper being capable of holding the optical disk medium between itself and the reading mechanism; and a driving mechanism which parallelly moves the optical disk holder to a predetermined position in the body after the inserted optical disk medium is placed at a predetermined position on the optical disk holder while simultaneously moving the reading mechanism from its position underneath the optical disk holder toward the optical disk medium in order to hold the optical disk medium between the reading mechanism and the clamper.
The present invention as set forth in claim 2 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 1, wherein the clamper is rotatably attached to a clamper holder which is provided so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the optical disk medium and urged in a direction away from the optical disk medium by an urging member which is disposed between the clamper holder and the optical disk holder so that the clamper holder is moved toward the optical disk medium by a cam member provided within the body when the optical disk holder is moved to the predetermined position.
The present invention as set forth in claim 3 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical disk medium is a compact disk; a disk guide, which guides the compact disk when a peripheral portion of the compact disk is inserted therein, is disposed on a side portion of the optical disk holder, the disk guide being attached in a movable manner with respect to the optical disk holder parallel to the face of the compact disk and urged in a direction toward the compact disk by an urging member; and the clamper holder moves the disk guide in a direction away from the compact disk when the clamper holder itself is moved in a direction toward the compact disk.
The present invention as set forth in claim 4 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical disk medium is a cartridge type medium having a medium contained in a square-shaped cartridge provided with a dust-proof shutter; the optical disk holder is a cartridge holder; and an engaging member elastically engaged with a concave portion which is disposed on both side portions of the cartridge type medium, is disposed on the inside of the cartridge holder.
The present invention as set forth in claim 5 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 4, further including: a shutter opening mechanism disposed between the engaging members, the shutter opening mechanism being engaged the dust-proof shutter of the cartridge type medium and opens the dust-proof shutter when actuated by the insertion of the cartridge type medium.
The present invention as set forth in claim 6 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 5, wherein the shutter opening mechanism includes: a guiding groove formed on a surface of the cartridge holder which is parallel to the cartridge type medium, the guiding groove may have an arched shape; a shutter lever attached to a surface of the cartridge holder to allow movement around the center of the arc of the guiding groove via the guiding groove, the shutter lever protruding toward the inside of the cartridge holder, to be engaged with the dust-proof shutter; and an urging member which urges the shutter lever toward an end portion of the guiding groove.
The present invention as set forth in claim 7 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 6, wherein the end portion of the guiding groove is positioned inside along the width of the cartridge holder with respect to a straight line parallel to the insertion direction of the cartridge type medium which passes through the rotation center of the shutter lever; and the other end portion of the guiding groove is positioned further inside relative to the end portion of the groove at the back of the cartridge holder.
The present invention as set forth in claim 8 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical disk medium to be inserted in the body is one of a compact disk and a cartridge type medium; the optical disk holder is a cartridge holder; and the pair of guiding rollers are provided so as to be capable of both approaching and separating to/from each other; and the loading device further including: a disk guide which guides the compact disk when a peripheral portion of the compact disk is inserted therein, the disk guide being disposed on the cartridge holder in a movable manner with respect to the optical disk holder parallel to the face of the compact disk, and urged in a direction toward the compact disk by an urging member; a shutter opening mechanism disposed on the cartridge holder, the shutter opening mechanism being engaging, upon the insertion of the cartridge type medium, a dust-proof shutter of the cartridge type medium to open the dust-proof shutter; and wherein the clamper holder moves the disk guide in a direction away from the compact disk when the clamper holder itself is moved in a direction toward the compact disk and, when the cartridge type medium is inserted, the inserted cartridge type medium pushes and moves the disk guide.
The present invention as set forth in claim 9 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 8, further including: a lever provided with the cartridge holder in the insertion direction of the optical disk medium, the lever being attached to the body at the midsection of the lever in a pivotal manner, and a moving plate, including a shutter opening mechanism, the moving plate being rotatably attached to an end portion of the lever and the moving plate also being slidably engaged with the end portion of the lever in the insertion direction of the optical disk medium, and wherein one of the pair of guiding rollers is attached to the other end portion of the lever; the shutter opening mechanism is moved inside the cartridge holder by the pivotal motion of the lever when the pair of guiding rollers are separated from each other by the insertion of the cartridge type medium; and the shutter opening mechanism is moved toward the vicinity of the inside surface of the cartridge holder due to the pivotal motion of the lever when the pair of guiding rollers are closest to each other during the insertion of the compact disk.
The present invention as set forth in claim 10 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 9, wherein the shutter opening mechanism includes: a guiding groove formed on the moving plate, the guiding groove may have an arched shape; a shutter lever attached to a surface of the moving plate to allow movement around the center of the arc of the guiding groove, the shutter lever protruding toward the inside of the cartridge holder to engage the dust-proof shutter; and an urging member which urges the shutter lever toward an end portion of the guiding groove.
The present invention as set forth in claim 11 is a loading device for an optical disk medium according to claim 10, wherein the end portion of the guiding groove is positioned inside along the width of the cartridge holder with respect to a straight line parallel to the insertion direction of the cartridge type medium which passes through the rotation center of the shutter lever; and the other end portion of the guiding groove is positioned further inside relative to the end portion of the groove at the back of the cartridge holder.
According to the present invention mentioned above, since there is no member which protrudes outside the device, when a loading/unloading operation for a compact disk or cartridge type medium is carried out, it becomes possible to prevent the accidental application of an external force to the internal mechanism of the device and to avoid a damage thereto. Accordingly, the level of the initial functionality of the device may be maintained for a long period of time.
Also, both the compact disk and the cartridge type medium can be loaded using a single device by adapting a structure in which the CD holder or the shutter opening mechanism is movable.